Conservation of fine art and historic photographs

Our story

Opened in 2019, Krista Lough Art Conservation is a young company committed to bringing photograph conservation to the Chicago land area and beyond.

Prior to opening my business, I was the Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Photograph Conservation at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Although, the Big Apple offered many opportunities for the arts, I felt it was important to bring my love of conservation of photographic materials to my hometown of Chicago.

TREATMENT OF FINE ART AND HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS

CONDITION REPORTS

COLLECTION SURVEYS

CONDITION ASSESSMENTS ON PROPOSED ACQUISITIONS

COURIER SERVICES

TREATMENT OF FINE ART AND HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS

Conservation treatment of photographic works can involve many different things. It is broadly divided into two categories, stabilization and visual compensation. The stabilization of works is vitally important to improve the long-term stability of a piece. It includes tear repair, consolidation of cracks and flaking image material, stabilizing large losses, and many other treatments that can prevent further loss and damage. Visual compensation of a work is not taken lightly and involves conversations with various stakeholders in the collection. It can include inpainting image loss and filling of losses. They are not necessarily essential to the long-term stability of the work, but they can be used to lessen the visual disruption of loss and damage. I have completed numerous conservation treatments and will work with you to understand what are the anticipated outcomes of the treatment for your work.

CONDITION REPORTS

Condition reports are important to document the current condition of your work. They are used prior to travel and exhibition. A condition report will always be a part of any treatment proposal, but it can also be used as a stand-alone document to keep a record of the state of preservation of a work.

COLLECTION SURVEYS

Not exactly sure what conservation concerns are in your collection? A survey is an important first step in evaluating the long-term preservation goals of the collection. Collection surveys can be used to identify the general priorities for the collection including; recommended storage condition, housing, and treatment priorities. An item-level survey will focus on individual works within the collection, providing condition assessments with treatment priorities for a group within the collection, or the entire collection. The National Endowment for the Humanities offers Preservation Assistance Grants for qualifying institutions, which can be applied to collection surveys. Additional grants are also available and are a great way for you to accomplish the preservation goals for your collection.

CONDITION ASSESSMENTS ON PROPOSED ACQUISITIONS

The decision to acquire a new work into the collection, either a gift or a purchase, is not always an easy one. If you have concerns over the preservation state of the work prior to acquisition, I’m happy to meet with you to identify any preservation issues for the piece. A condition assessment is not a form of authentication, but it can help you understand the state of preservation of a work and what the work may require prior to it entering your collection.

COURIER SERVICES

Loaning your work to another institution is a wonderful way to share your collection with different parts of the world but the transportation of art can be complicated. Having a courier to accompany your work is a wonderful way to ensure the piece is packed, transported, and installed with the care you would expect from your own institution. I have completed many courier trips from single works to entire exhibitions, with works including photographs, paintings, sculpture, and paper. I have traveled with art domestically and internationally on trucks, passenger planes, and cargo planes. I would be happy to accompany your work on its journey; supervising packing, palletizing, unpacking and installation. I will travel with the work to ensure it arrives at the destination safely and complete condition checks when the work is unpacked in the new gallery.

Institutional clients

Art Institute of Chicago

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Museum of Contemporary Photography

Resources

Most recent publication:

• Pénichon, Sylvie, Krista Lough, and Paul Messier. (2017). An Objective Revaluation of Photograms by László Moholy-Nagy, Leonardo, Volume 50, Issue 3. (pp. 292- 295)

Most recent presentation:

• Complications with “My Birth”, AIC PMG & ICOM-CC PMWG Joint Meeting, February 2019, New York, New York.

Contact us

Located in Chicago, Illinois

708-651-3142

krista@kl-artconservation.com